Our Shared Values - Working with LGBTI People

Working With LGBTI People Our Shared Values

We show LOVE We act with RESPECT We are RELIABLE We EMPOWER others

Our Shared Values At BaptistCare, we create strong and caring communities that value personal well-being and each other. When these values are shared, it has the potential to transform lives.

Among the thousands of individuals we meet each day, we see that people want to be shown genuine loving care, to be respected as an individual, to be empowered to live well, and to always feel confident they have someone they can rely on.

We value the unique needs of the LGBTI community and are committed to using our shared values as our guiding approach in the planning, delivery and evaluation of care.

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Understanding the Context BaptistCare recognises that many ageing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people may have experienced discrimination and exclusion during the course of their lives due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. In many instances this may have resulted in ostracism from family and friends, violence, abuse, unfair treatment in the workplace, imprisonment or even forced medical “cures” such as shock therapy. Recent surveys have shown that LGBTI people experience higher rates of harassment and abuse than the general population. Many older LGBTI people learned to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity to be safe. Some have expressed a hesitation to now access either home-based or residential aged care due to the fear of discrimination and/or exclusion.

According to the Department of Health (DoHA, 2012), it is estimated that up to 11% of the Australian population may identify as LGBTI. The people included within this broad category are not a homogeneous group and require understanding and care that is sensitive to each person’s needs and experiences.

In 2012 the Government released a National LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy specifically aimed to address issues related to inclusion, empowerment, access and equity, quality and capacity building. While BaptistCare has comprehensive policies in place to ensure equity of access and service to people regardless of sexuality, culture, race, religion and background, this Guide seeks to further articulate our commitment to providing sensitive, informed and actively inclusive care for LGBTI people.

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Our Commitment to our Customers BaptistCare is committed to providing care and services to all people based on our shared values, acknowledging the unique background and individuality of each person. We seek to provide an inclusive, welcoming, professional and safe environment for all people, including those who identify as LGBTI. BaptistCare seeks to: • Embed diversity and inclusiveness considerations into everyday practices including the development of appropriate policies and procedures • Improve services to ensure the needs of LGBTI people are met in a comfortable, professional and informed environment • Ensure the equity of access to services for LGBTI people • Deliver appropriate care ensuring that individual needs and preferences are understood.

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Peter’s Story Brian and I have been together for 45 marvellous years. When we first met you couldn’t really let on to people generally that you were gay. We had a horrible experience some years back when we were attacked on the street by a group of youths and badly beaten up.

It shocked us both terribly to see so much hate, but it has been encouraging to gradually see attitudes change, particularly over recent years. We have been wonderfully lucky with the lives we have led and with having found one another to share life with.

Brian’s health started to go downhill rapidly just after he turned 75. He was an incredibly intelligent man, a top level lawyer, and it was awful watching him slip away like that. I looked after him at home as long as I could, but he finally needed to go into residential care about four months before he died.

By that time he was blind and almost deaf, so touch was incredibly important to him. I would visit every day and really the only way we could communicate was to sit and hold hands. Sometimes he would be quite upset and I would put my arms around him in his wheelchair and hug him. It was such a difficult time, but a special one too.

No one complained but at first a couple of people weren’t comfortable with us. We soon made friends with everyone though, and most people were wonderful, particularly the manager and the chaplain. They treated us with the same respect they would any couple. I’m so grateful for the quality of care Brian received and for the personal support I’ve been given also.

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Our Shared Values

Working With LGBTQI People

We are LOVING

We genuinely care.

We show love and respect to those we serve.

BaptistCare will: • Be proactive and responsive to the needs and preferences of LGBTI people in our care, by providing services in a sensitive manner and respecting the uniqueness and preferences of each person while responding flexibly and creatively to each person’s perspectives and needs.

• Develop meaningful relationships with each customer. We will do this by gathering and documenting information, where appropriate and relevant, from each customer, their partner and family, in relation to their personal history, culture, abilities, spirituality, support needs and preferences.

• Support and enrich the comfort, autonomy and quality of life of each person.

• Acknowledge and consult with same-sex life partners in the same manner as other long-term, committed couples.

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We RESPECT the individual

We respect individuality.

We do it their way.

We pay attention to the small things that mean most to them

BaptistCare will: • Ensure all services are provided equitably, regardless of background, origin, age, sexuality, gender identity, lifestyle, faith, language and culture.

• Respect each individual’s privacy and right to disclose or not disclose information in regard to sexuality or preferences, while managing customer information sensitively and confidentially, including with family members, BaptistCare staff and other services.

• Encourage inclusiveness through acceptance and appreciation of differences, building a healthy culture of mutual respect.

• Address physical or emotional safety concerns made by customers, partners or family members and provide support as appropriate.

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Brenda’s Story When I grew up it was illegal to be homosexual. Everyone thought I was mad or sick. I went to a psychiatrist at one point and he wanted to give me shock treatment to make me want to go out with men. I refused. My family thought I was an embarrassment and even people from my church asked me to leave as they felt my sexuality was not compatible with being a member of their community.

I fell in love with Susan in my late 20s and we were together for 42 years. She was my rock. We had a wonderful life together. We had lots of friends and we stuck together like glue through good times and tough. I had to be pretty guarded about our relationship because we learned that we couldn’t trust people. I was working in a job I loved for over 20 years but when they found out I was homosexual I was sacked, just like that.

Susan died four years ago from cancer. That really rocked me and I started drinking a lot. I just got sucked into this black spiral. Everything seemed to 9

Our Shared Values

Our RESPECT Approach

fall apart, I was spending all my money on booze and my friends found it impossible to cope with me.

Eventually I had to move out because I couldn’t keep up with the rent and landed in a horrible cheap boarding house.

I found a community centre that did lunches for people, food parcels, that sort of thing. I was worried I’d cop more flack about being a lesbian because it was a church-run place, but it was quite the opposite. The workers were lovely and helped me find somewhere better to live and link into some counselling about my drinking. They treated me with such respect that I think it helped me to respect myself again too.

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We are RELIABLE

We deliver what we promise.

We do what we say.

We keep customers informed.

BaptistCare will: • Regularly consult with LGBTI customers, their partners, families and communities, where possible, to ensure care, service, communication and other needs are delivered in the most appropriate manner.

• Seek regular feedback from customers and employees to ensure diversity is respected and supported, including the organisation’s approach to all forms of diversity.

• Monitor access and equity initiatives and develop ongoing strategies for improvement.

• Use recruitment and retention practices which reflect BaptistCare’s focus on our shared values and an acceptance of all forms of diversity within the workforce.

• Provide employees and volunteers with training opportunities to develop their diversity awareness, knowledge and competence in delivering care and services using a person-centred approach.

• Review practices to ensure that staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities and embrace culturally sensitive practices.

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We EMPOWER others

We empower customers to live well.

We do it with them, not for them.

We use our experience and expertise to proactively help customers.

BaptistCare will: • Be committed to honouring each person, their beliefs and lifestyle and recognising the importance of sexuality, gender identity, culture, origin, language, social background and family and community networks when planning and delivering care and services.

• Empower LGBTI people to live the lives they choose through supportive and enabling care and services.

• Enable LGBTI customers to express independence in personalising their living environment within BaptistCare facilities, to reflect their identity and promote comfort and safety.

• Ensure interaction with existing community networks are maintained according to the customer’s wishes.

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Our Shared Values

Sandy’s Story For as long as I can remember I always felt more like a girl than a guy.

People reckoned then that it was a sickness and I was in and out of a psych ward in my 20s because they wanted to ‘fix’ me. I had to be very careful in those days and life was really hard. If you got caught with a guy you could end up in jail and those who did were bashed and abused.

I could never afford the drugs or surgery, but I like dressing as a woman, it makes me feel good. When I look like a woman I feel comfortable and beautiful, but when I’m a man I just feel depressed. It’s like I have more female hormones than male ones, like I’m a woman on the inside and that’s who I truly am. People these days are more understanding than they used to be and the doctors don’t call it an illness anymore. Some people are still scared of people who are different and they just see a man in woman’s clothes and don’t try to get to know me as a person.

I had to come and live in this place (the nursing home) about six months ago. At first they seemed a bit unsure how to deal with me as I am physically a man, but prefer to dress as a woman. At the start I stayed in my room most of the time. I guess that people could see I was pretty depressed so the staff were really kind and encouraged me to get involved in things around the place and meet people. The staff are great and just talk to me about what I want and try to get to know me.

One of the other residents was a little rude at first, but the staff were great with managing that situation and Ted and I now sit and watch the football together sometimes.

I used to think that I’d never cope living in a place like this, but now that I am accepted, I really like it here. I have my friends who I play cards with and we like watching the old movies together. I particularly like the classics with the beautiful gowns and lots of music and dancing… they make me feel happy.

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Elizabeth’s Story I’m 78 now and admit that I’m starting to feel a bit old! Life has become pretty lonely over these last few years. I had a couple of wonderful long term relationships during my life, but I’ve been on my own now for the last 15 years, watching my friends die one by one. Being a lesbian, I never had any kids, so it has been particularly tough being all on my own like this. I had one sister, but she lived about a six hour drive away and died three years ago. Her kids probably just think of me as the crazy lesbian aunt and I’ve never had a lot of contact with them.

I suffer really badly from arthritis. I’ve had my hips and knees all replaced, but they have gotten pretty bad again over the last year or so. I started to be really worried and panicked a bit about what was ahead, especially because I’m all alone. Last time I was in hospital I said something to one of the nurses about being a lesbian and they all seemed to treat me badly after that.

I was pretty scared about ending up in a nursing home and being considered like some sort of freak - I just assumed the church-run places would not ‘get’ my sexuality. When I went home from hospital I started getting some help from one of the church-based aged care agencies while I recovered. I was nervous at the start because I hadn’t had a chance to take down any of my photos or books and was worried that the staff would realise I was gay. After the bad experience in hospital I was expecting them to treat me badly like the nurse had, but they’ve been great. The care workers who come in have been warm and friendly and gotten to know me. They ask me how I like things and are helping me to get out and stay connected with my friends, and even make some new ones. One of the ladies who comes has a brother who is gay, so understands what things have been like for me.

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Working With LGBTQI People

References and Resources Australian Human Rights Commission (2013).

Sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status discrimination: Information Sheet.

Department of Health and Ageing (2012). National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Ageing and Aged Care Strategy.

Department of Health Victoria. (2008). Well Proud: A guide to GLBTI inclusive practice for health and human services.

Barrett, C. (2012). Sexuality, ageing and GLBTI inclusive practice in community aged care. The CAC Pack. Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria and LaTrobe University.

Barrett, C. & Whyte, C. (2012). My Story – My People.

Stories about older gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people’s experiences of aged care. Extracts from the My People study. Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria, Matrix Guild of Victoria and Vintage Men Inc. Melbourne.

Barrett, C. & Whyte, C. (2013). Creating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) inclusive Residential Aged Care Services. The RAC Pack. Val’s Café, Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria.

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Barrett, C. & Whyte, C. & Crameri, P. (2013). National LGBTI Inclusive Practice Standards for Aged Care Services.

La Trobe University.

Barrett, C., Turner, L., & Leonard, L. (2013). Beyond a Rainbow Sticker: A report on How2 create a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) inclusive service.

Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria. www.valscafe.org.au Val’s Cafe supports organisations to provide inclusive service to older LGBTI people and are a gateway to a vast range of resources.

The stories included in this book recognise the challenges many LGBTI people face. They are not based on the experiences of specific BaptistCare customers or employees.

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BC01039-0120

1300 275 227 baptistcare.org.au ask@baptistcare.org.au